This large and flamboyant project, required 16 years to complete, and was in danger of abandonment on a few occasions. At a cost of $388 million, the concert hall included a restaurant, gift shops, gardens and terraces, a 500-seat pre-concert sitting area, and a 300-seat rehearsal hall for chamber music concerts.

Hall to Rival World's Best Gets Underway - Reuters (12/13/1999)More details on the history of the Hall;